Pros and Cons of Solar Power

Energy consumption may shift from source to source over time. For example, the United States went from a nation generating most of its heat energy from wood in the nineteenth century to a nation utilizing coal energy in the early twentieth century. Then, the majority of energy consumption shifted to oil in the mid-twentieth century, in part because of the prominence of the internal combustion engine (MacKenzie 1-30). The 1980s are a time when environmental awareness has combined with the search for fossil fuel alternatives (U.S. Dept. of Energy, 1981). The environmental pollution problems associated with fossil fuels like coal and oil and nuclear power have led some to say that the next major energy source will be alternative energy sources like solar, wind and geothermal (Lovins).

Solar cells are favored for power generation because they pose little health hazard and do not pollute the environment. However, the major drawback of solar cells has been lack of cost effectiveness.

In 1980, a kilowatt of coal or nuclear energy cost about 2 1/2 cents, while it cost 31 cents to produce a kilowatt of solar energy. However, the hope for solar cells is that technological innovations and

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y be some time before economical and safer nuclear options are available, and even then the nuclear waste issue must still be dealt with (Klueh). The Council on Environmental Quality estimated that solar can provide 25 percent of the 180 quads of energy needed by the U.S. in the year 2020. Solar is competitive with low grade industrial steam for heating and cooling, but the cost of solar systems has been higher than fossil fuel systems (Bregman). Innovations in technology have been steadily lowering the cost of solar energy, as of 1985, the $10 per watt cost of energy produced from solar cells was not competitive. The solar cell energy needed to drop to at least $3 per watt to be competitive in the energy marketplace (Cusack). However, solar may be competitive with other energy sources and cost only $1-3 per peak watt by 1995. Solar users would have the advantage of an alternative system in case of power brownouts and failures of the conventional electrical grid (Goddy). In 1988, solar cells are still seen as a promising alternative to possible future oil shortages similar to those brought about by the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) in the 1970s. Solar cells (photovoltaics) have been known since th
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